Israel Agrees to Vatican's Bethlehem Wish

VICTOR L. SIMPSON

Published 8:00 pm, Wednesday, December 11, 2002

Associated Press Writer

Israel's president promised the pope during a meeting Thursday that the army will redeploy outside the pilgrim city of Bethlehem during Christmas if there are no warnings of terrorist attacks, the Israeli embassy said.

The Vatican, in talks with President Moshe Katsav, had urged Israel to allow "free access" during the holiday season in Bethlehem, where Israeli troops are patrolling Manger Square after occupying the town.

Katsav, making the first visit by an Israeli head of state to the Vatican, met with Pope John Paul II and the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.

The Vatican said it restated its support for both Israel and a Palestinian state and the need for a rapid conclusion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"In particular, an appeal was made for free access to Bethlehem on the occasion of the upcoming Christmas celebrations," a Vatican statement on the meetings said.

The military occupation of Bethlehem, the town where tradition holds Christ was born, is Israel's third in recent months as troops hunt for Palestinian militants believed behind suicide bombings in Israel.

Israel has also said Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat should not make his traditional visit to the town for Christmas midnight Mass.

The Vatican said each side "explained its own point of view" during an examination of the situation in the Holy Land.

The statement by Israel's embassy to the Holy See said Katsav promised the army will redeploy outside of Bethlehem if there are no warnings of terrorist operations and in any case "will do everything possible to enable pilgrims to celebrate the festivities as appropriate."

John Paul paid an official visit to Israel as part of a tour of the Holy Land in 2000, a few years after establishing relations between the Vatican and the Jewish state.

The Israeli statement said the pope condemned anti-Semitism and terrorism and indicated he intends he intends to speak out against both in the near future.

The frail 82-year-old pope received Katsav in his private library, telling him "God bless Israel." They met privately for 15 minutes.

Katsav later presented the pope with a leather-bound Book of Psalms and wished the pope strength to continue in his mission.